Alison Campsie

A music therapy charity championed by singer Emeli Sande is to arrive in the star’s hometown of Aberdeen thanks to a fundraising campaign.

Nordoff Robbins wants to bring its work to the north east to help those living with health issues unlock their creative potential and express themselves.

Janet Halton, executive director of Nordoff Robbins, said that a corporate sponsor was close to “signing on the dotted line” and that, as a result, the charity would be able to advertise for a part-time music therapist.

Ms Halton said she hoped the charity would be up and running in Aberdeen by early next year.

She said: “Bringing Nordoff Robbins to Aberdeen is now definitely in the plans.

“We really want to get the service rolled out to as many people as possible in the first instance and work with schools, day centres and hospitals to deliver music therapy.

“We are all about using music creatively to make the most of an individual’s potential.

“Music is a very flexible medium and it is tailored to meet the needs of individuals. We do a lot of work with people with autism and music being non-verbal means that it can be a key element of unlocking potential.”

So far around 400 children have benefitted from the work of Nordoff Robbins in Scotland but adults use the service too, including those with dementia.